PART 2
Getting Set Up
So, now the essentials are in the bag you’re ready to begin thinking about the finer details 👏 of your home poker tournament. Let’s take a look at everything you need to keep the tournament moving, from setting 👏 blind levels and starting stakes to poker chip distribution and tournament structure.
Stakes
Setting stakes in a home poker tournament boils down 👏 to how much the players want to play for. Ideally you want a buy-in that players will be comfortable paying 👏 for (and if rebuys or add-ons are going to be available, that should also be a factor).
Setting buy-ins too high 👏 may put off some of your invited players who are seeing your poker home game as more of a fun 👏 activity than the chance to win some prize money. Likewise, setting the buy-ins too low will probably put off players 👏 who are attracted by the opportunity to win some extra cash. It’s a balancing act that depends on the players 👏 who will be playing, so bear that in mind and, however much you choose to play for, make sure everyone 👏 knows the details in advance.
Structure
While the World Series of Poker Main Event uses a freeze-out structure that eliminates players once 👏 they bust, in our experience a rebuy structure is better for home games. Giving players the option to buy back 👏 in when they lose all their chips makes things more exciting and more appealing. You’ll also find that players take 👏 bigger risks when they know rebuys are allowed.
Add-ons – extra buy-ins available to all players at the end of the 👏 rebuy period – can also be a great way to help short stacks gain a foothold back in the game, 👏 as well as to boost the prize pool.
Consider the payout structure too. Will one player take the entire prize pool, 👏 or will you have first, second and third place prizes? The more players you have, the more spots you should 👏 pay out. As you may not know the final number of players until the tournament is ready to begin, this 👏 may be something to discuss with your fellow players before starting play.
Setting the Blinds
Just like in a high stakes casino, 👏 you should establish your blind structure well in advance and, once the tournament has begun, stick to it. Blinds structures 👏 like the examples we provide here are fairly standard and unlikely to surprise many players.
If you want a tournament to 👏 play out faster, you can always make the levels shorter. This will speed the pace along, but not at a 👏 blind rate that feels too intimidating. Skipping blind levels is not something you should generally consider, as it will usually 👏 disadvantage some players in an unfair way.
When you reach heads-up play you may want to make the levels a little 👏 faster – especially if you’re planning on playing a second tournament and other players are hanging around and waiting – 👏 but it’s essential that both players agree to this.
When it comes to blind structures, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula. Use 👏 your instincts and remember that the structure you choose influences how long your tournament lasts. If you’re not sure about 👏 setting your own blinds, or just want a bit of guidance, here is a good basis to work from, and 👏 below you’ll find more options for three starting structures we suggest.
Blinds Structure Table
Small Blind Big Blind Ante 25 50 – 👏 50 100 – 75 150 – 100 200 25 150 300 25 200 400 50 300 600 75 500 1000 👏 100 800 1600 150 1000 2000 200 1500 3000 300 2000 4000 400 3000 6000 600 5000 10000 1000
DOWNLOAD Blind 👏 Schedule 1 A good entry-level blind structure for first time tourney holders. Blinds are smaller to accommodate players just learning 👏 the ropes. DOWNLOAD Blind Schedule 2 A mid-level structure with slightly increased blinds. This is perfect for tournaments where skill 👏 varies from player to player. DOWNLOAD Create Your Own A blank blind schedule for you to fill in as you 👏 please. Print it out and pass them round at your home game so that everyone’s on the same page.
Poker Chip 👏 Distribution
How many chips you start with in a poker tournament depends on a few things, but mainly the size of 👏 the blinds in level one. As a general rule of thumb, starting stacks should comprise between 50-100 big blinds for 👏 the first blind level.
A 500-chip set will usually provide all the chips you need for a home tournament – certainly 👏 for a single table tourney. If you want each player to have a bigger stack of chips (which has the 👏 upside of needing to make change less frequently) then deal out a larger number of smaller value chips. Otherwise, you 👏 can get away with using fewer chips per player, if you add in some higher denomination ones to each buy-in 👏 stack.
We go into more specifics about the science behind chip distribution in our ultimate guide to poker chips.
